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As you might have guessed from our, er, rather pink colour scheme (which believe it or not is a dialled-down version of an uber-pink original), we at Little Wed Hen are lovers of colour. The Dulux paint range brings a smile to our faces. We longingly eye off blue eye-shadow, and even contemplate wearing it in public. We cheer at hot air balloons and delight in bags of artificially-hued lollies. Perhaps it’s because we’re from Melbourne, where everyone wears black and sunshine is a rarely-seen thing. Whatever the case, we’re an unabashed cheer-squad for Pantone numbers and just about everything out of a tin of Dewents (with the exception of Gunmetal Grey).

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So when we came across Amanda May’s designs, we got a bit excited. If we were the absurdist poetry-quoting types, we’d have been shouting “o frabjous day, calloo, callay!”. Because Amanda, like Fran Fine of The Nanny fame (yes, we’re showing our age), has style and flair, and also a love of sumptuous colour palettes. Her work draws on the vintage and the whimsical, but merges it beautifully with elegance and subtlety, making for some invitations that go well beyond the standard. We caught up with Amanda for a chat about her work, and found her just as lovely as her designs.

LOVE invitation: All you need is love. (And a retro-style sunburst!)

Amanda’s design inspirations….

Amanda’s keen eye for all things vintage stems is well-practised: her design inspirations include a wealth of divergent but complementary items and icons. “Vintage postcards, all things French, lovely whimsical tones, delicate patterns, and vintage wallpapers and textures” are amongst Amanda’s first loves, and formed the backbone of her introductory stationery collection, she tell us. But her love for the historic, the rustic and the romantic doesn’t end there. “I just adore getting hand-written letters and notes,” Amanda says. “And I’m hoping to learn this lovely art form–calligraphy–to incorporate into my designs.”

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What’s next?

Amanda keeps herself busy by taking a step back from current trends in wedding stationery and looking at things from a different angle. “I am loving bright colours and non-traditional wedding tones at the moment. They’re so fun, especially coming into autumn.”

Her approach to design means that lucky folk like us are able to be privy to some great stuff that’s slightly unusual, and certainly refreshing: “I’m enjoying mixing bright playful tones you wouldn’t ordinarily see on wedding stationery,” she admits. And this candid, light-hearted approach to love and life is more than evident in her perspectives on love and marriage: ”love is a wonderful thing!” she exclaims.

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…And weddings?

“Weddings are about two people who love each other. A wedding is a about bringing two people together forever so don’t be afraid to make your wedding creative, fun and a representation of your love for each other and who you are as a couple.”

How can you argue with that?

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Visit Amanda online:

Amanda can be reached at AmandaMay.com.au, where she keeps a blog full of beautiful things–including plenty more samples of her work.